Kathleen Parker: Christie being bullied

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gestures as he answers a question during a news conference at the Statehouse in Trenton. Christie has fired a top aide who engineered political payback against a town mayor, saying she lied. Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Anne Kelly is the latest casualty in a widening scandal that threatens to upend Christie's second term and likely run for president in 2016. Documents show she arranged traffic jams to punish the mayor, who didn't endorse Christie for re-election.

In the days since revelations surfaced about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s office orchestrating the now-infamous George Washington Bridge lane closings, I’ve had at least four different reactions.

Listed in chronological order, they were: He’s dead; maybe not so bad if he didn’t know anything; OMG, an elderly woman died! He’s gone. Latest and hardly least, Christie may emerge relatively unscathed as the media displace him as villain.

To stipulate, we recognize that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio made the sanest observation when asked Thursday to comment. “I think the right approach is to be a bit prudent here and not jump to conclusions,” Rubio said. “I don’t know anything about this. So for me to comment beyond that would just not be, you know, appropriate.”

There you have the difference between a senator in line to replace Christie as the leading Republican presidential candidate and — everybody else.

On the train from New York to Washington Thursday, two words continuously rose above the din: Chris Christie. The best summation of how the scandal is playing politically came from two high-profile consultants who happened to be on the same train — Republican Mary Matalin and Democrat James Carville.

“BFD,” said Matalin when I asked her thoughts.

Carville, somewhat less concise, said he gave Christie a C-minus on his two-hour news conference, down from an initial B-plus.

Perhaps more to the point of Christie’s future, Carville noted that Rush Limbaugh and other high-profile conservatives aren’t defending the governor.

Even so, many Republicans in the Matalin camp see this as much ado about little, especially compared to, for instance, President Obama’s repeated falsehoods about people keeping the health insurance they like under the Affordable Care Act. Democrats see this as the inevitable ruin of a bully run amok.

But another consequential feature of this controversy is an emerging narrative that, barring the unforeseen, could shift focus from Christie’s administration to the greater villain — the media. There’s a growing sense on the right that Christie is being unfairly battered by a media all too eager to help defrock the Republican front-runner.

Needless to say, one bad deed (Obama’s falsehoods) does not excuse another (misusing power to punish a political foe). The bridge scandal is compelling precisely because it fits the well-documented bullying image of Christie.

Christie’s style was always going to be problematic for him in the primaries. But now he also can be viewed as a victim not only of malignant, malicious and mind-bendingly stupid staffers but also of a two-faced, pro-Democratic media.

The media are not monolithic, as we like to remind people. But we do have a tendency to focus on the latest scandal. And it does seem that we tend to treat Republican scandals as more delicious than others. This is owing less to the sins committed than to the greater sin of hypocrisy. The higher the bar, the harder they fall.

But Christie isn’t a strong exhibit in the mean-media argument. More than a Republican, he is a colorful, larger-than-life character who speaks loudly and carries a big stick. Cameras will always find the most interesting landscape, and Christie has that turf covered. More to the salient point, as the leading Republican presidential candidate, he can hardly be ignored. Coverage of this fiasco isn’t disproportionate to the man, even if it may be to the event.

If, indeed, Christie had no knowledge of the lane closings and if, in fact, he was betrayed by idiots — even though he hired and trusted those idiots — then he could survive.

Those are big ifs. What is certain is that the only thing the Republican base hates more than a liar and a bully is a bullying media. Once that common enemy is established, the perceived victim often becomes the victor.

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American Heritage Dictionary definition of fascism: "...a system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism."

that Christie had some skeletons in his closet (not left over from Halloween). He had some cred as a GOP candidate for president because he didn't have the tea party baggage hanging all over him. When the "Bridgegate" stuff began leaking, he became target #1.

This scandal is also sensational in a way Benghazi isn't for the average news consumer. It involves something that happened in our country, not to mention the money that never went to Sandy victims and appeared on the ledger for Christie campaign ads.

I don't tend to trust him because I've known people so like him. He has the earmarks of a sociopath. Maybe he isn't. But, man, can he act and put on the charm. Other than that, he's innocent until proven guilty.

Frankly, the left-wing attacks are redundant. They are milking this for all it's worth. But if the GOP can do it to Obama then the left can do it to Christie. Politics.

The sad part of these scandals is that we hear about it ad infinitum and not much about the major problems being caused by the trickle-down economic plunder and Wall Street vampirism that victimizes practically everybody on the planet. Christie and Obama are small potatoes in those realms. Only pawns in the game.

So is it all about Kathleen's reactions?
Or about Christie’s administration shaming him?
Maybe the harsh treatment Christie's getting from the media?
Does anybody remember the people who needed to get across that bridge?!?

If you buy Christie’s explanation at a press conference Thursday, the New Jersey governor is a victim. He is the victim of a scheming, lying aide and a scheming, lying old high school friend he appointed to the Port Authority. And because the investigations are just getting started, he may learn of other scheming, lying members of his administration who have driven this poor man’s reputation into a ditch.

Christie insisted that he knew nothing of a vindictive plan to shut a couple lanes of traffic in Fort Lee, N.J. near the George Washington Bridge to punish a mayor who declined to support the governor in the recent election.

“I am who I am, but I am not a bully,” Christie implored.

Do you believe that? Time will tell as more is uncovered.

Either way, it is instructive to note that even at this political low point, Christie spent more time bemoaning how he was lied to than empathizing with the thousands of New Jersey and New York residents harmed by this petty plot. The bridge is a major artery connecting people to jobs and routing all sorts of commerce — not to mention its role for life-saving ambulances that were delayed by the traffic gridlock.

Obama "blames all but himself." "In wake of scandal" Clinton "blames all but herself."

Besides Happy, if you know anything about NYC (I lived in Nassau County for years), you know that you listen to the radio and if there's a tie up on the George you head directly for the Lincoln Tunnel. The AM stations broadcast those traffic reports every 20 minutes during the daytime.

Interesting how you embellish this "scandal" while totally ignoring others, and national ones at that.

I'm a democrat, however I was really leaning towards voting for Christie. Not so sure now. Granted, everything could change, but it seems every time I consider throwing a vote his way...something happens.

tie up the Lincoln. What I said was that if you hear there is a traffic problem on one of the routes to Manhattan, you take another. In my case, usually the Lincoln if there was a problem on the George (the Holland Tunnel doesn't have as many lanes). The implication here is that it is a strictly local, not a national problem.

I was watching Maddow on her show last month when I first heard of this. NBC certainly spent a lot of time and effort developing this "scandal." Perhaps that's why they can't spare any time and effort to investigate government privacy intrusions, huh?

A second-grader at a town hall in Montville asked Christie to reveal his favorite thing about being governor. Christie gave a serious answer: "Every morning I get up, and I have a chance to do something great."

Then, he gave a second, "fun" answer.

"Some people, in fact a lot of people, don’t take the train. And a lot of people drive. And maybe when you’re on the train you see the people in all the traffic trying to get to the Lincoln Tunnel," Christie said. "When you’re governor, they close the Lincoln Tunnel for you. And you get to drive right through. No traffic. ... I love it."

We get mad as hornets when we are stopped by road construction.
We get mad as hornets when there are potholes.
We get mad as hornets when snow doesn't get pushed.
We get mad as hornets when traffic doesn't flow like it should.
We get mad as hornets when construction limits our business or home access.
Some things we understand and tolerate, some we don't.
To purposely interrupt our lives over childish feuds is inexcusable.